Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Ali According to the Referees handbook, Referees are required to wear black cleats which may have a white manufacturer's design with black laces. So the three white stripe branding is acceptable IMO. Indeed it would actually be quite difficult to get black cleats without any visible branding.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Black and white are okay, but please don't go using lime green laces or getting some shoes with those garish colors on the bottom! The whole point of USSF and FIFA telling us what the uniform should look like is so we can appear professional when we walk out onto the field.

If the shoes you are interested in look neat and you can keep them clean and well groomed, and if you feel you look professional in them, they are most likely just fine.

Offside Question?

This web site and the answers to these questions are not sanctioned by or affiliated with any governing body of soccer. The opinions expressed on this site should not be considered official interpretations of the Laws of the Game and are merely opinions of AskTheRef and our panel members. If you need an official ruling you should contact your state or local representative through your club or league. On AskTheRef your questions are answered by a panel of licensed referees. See Meet The Ref for details about our panel members.

Ask The Ref ( Ask The Soccer Referee ) is a volunteer organization paid for by sponsorships. Licensed Soccer Referees make up our international panel. We respond to numerous soccer questions related to the rules and regulations of soccer which is governed by FIFA. 5/25/2019